Maine: "I want to get on the record and this committee is not allowing me and it's unfortunate that the people of the State of Maine are being played for patsies. Thank you." 'GOVERNOR PAUL LEPAGE" SAYS LAWMAKERS DISRESPECTED THE "OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR" BY NOT LETTING HIM SPEAK AT A WEEKEND COMMITTEE MEETING. GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US. I'M TRACY SABOL. THE GOVERNOR SAYS HE'S NOT PERSONALLY OFFENDED.. BUT áINSISTSá THAT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION AT SUNDAY'S "EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING". W-M-T-W NEWS EIGHT'S PAUL MERRILL JOINS US LIVE NOW WITH áTHE LATESTá...PAUL WE ASKED THE GOVERNOR WHAT HE HAD PLANNED TO SAY. HE TOLD US HE WAS GOING TO HELP HIS BUDGET CHIEF ANSWER A QUESTION, COMMEND THE WORK OF THE D-H-H-S COMMISSIONER, AND TELL LAWMAKERS HE IS WILLING TO WORK WITH THEM... BUT NONE OF THAT HAPPENED. 08:56:25-08:56:27 Gov. Paul LePage/ Maine: "If I want to be liked, I go get another dog." GOVERNOR LEPAGE JOKES ABOUT HOW LAWMAKERS SILENCED HIM AT SUNDAY'S MEETING... BUT HE WASN'T LAUGHING WHEN IT HAPPENED. Gov. Paul LePage/ Maine: "I want to get on the record and this committee is not allowing me and it's unfortunate that the people of the State of Maine are being played for patsies. Thank you." THE MEETING WAS ABOUT MAKING SURE D-H-H-S DOESN'T RUN OUT OF MONEY BEFORE THE END OF THE BUDGET YEAR. THE GOVERNOR SAYS HE WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS. 08:56:31-08:56:45 Gov. Paul LePage/ Maine: "I do believe the Office of Governor was totally disrespected and whether I'm holding it or John Baldacci's holding it or Angus King is holding it or some future governor, it was inappropriate." 08:23:44-08:23:45 50 Sen. Dawn Hill/ Cape Neddick: "He appeared to be angry, so I wasn't sure where he was going to go with comments or if he even was coming up to the podium at all." SENATOR DAWN HILL IS STICKING BY HER DECISION NOT TO LET THE GOVERNOR SPEAK. SHE SAYS YESTERDAY'S MEETING WAS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING. 08:24:55-08:25:01 Sen. Dawn Hill/ Cape Neddick: "I did not want to be disrespectful in any way to the governor, but I realized that this was not part of the process." ALL OF THIS - AS LAWMAKERS APPROACH A BUDGET DEADLINE. TODAY, THE GOVERNOR FIRED BACK AT PEOPLE WHO SAY HIS BUDGET PROPOSAL SHIFTS TAXES ONTO CITIES AND TOWNS. 09:00:08- 23 Gov. Paul LePage/ Maine: "All I want to say is: if you want to pay higher taxes, that is fine, folks... and we'll give you revenue sharing or raise your property taxes because what you're saying is, 'We want local control but we want the state to pay for it.'" LAWMAKERS ARE SCHEDULED TO FINISH ALL OF THEIR WORK AND PASS A STATE BUDGET BY JUNE 19TH. LIVE IN THE STUDIO, PAUL